The Missing Link
by OmegaPhish
Summary: Okay. Summary: What would you do if the Jokerz were after you for one reason, and you were trying to avoid Batman at the same time? It's kinda an alternate reality, but just R&R, k?


WOW! LOOK! Another Batman Beyond fic by ME! Goody. YES, its another Andie. We've already realized by now that isn't it ALWAYS?! Anyway, this is a one-timer, and actually my first Batman fic ever(before the one that is currently on FF.net that has 3 chapters that eveyone just loooooves)... Kinda stupid, and I most likely won't continue it after I finish editing the rest(yes! There is a little more than this... well, okay.. maybe a LOT more.. but that lot still isn't finished!) unless begged to death by a million people like my other BB fic. Well, I'm only here to please. BTW.. this is kinda in an alternate reality.. and don't tell me things I already know... like.. well, I'll tell you what not to tell me at the end so I don't spoil it for you. Good. Read. Review. Enjoy.  
  
The Missing Link  
  
  
  
A life of running and hiding isn't the greatest, especially if your me, and especially if the people who you are running from are after you for one reason and one reason only. And I wish that it were never the reason that it was.  
  
Hoping they hadn't spotted me, my eyes darted around before I spotted a fire escape and reached towards it, pulling myself up to get on the building. From the top I would be able to tell where they were to stay away from them. As far away as possible. Reaching the top rail, I glanced down towards the ground before pulling myself up onto the platform. A pale white hand grabbed my own as I was catching my breath, looking at the platform on my hands and knees. My head darted up and I immediately looked into the face of a Joker.  
  
"How are you doing little miss Andie? We were watching you. Can you tell?" He said. One of the girl jokers giggled in the backround. I rolled my eyes.  
  
"You know, I'm not especially fond of you," I retorted as he pulled me up by the hand and set me down, "Thats why I've been staying away."  
  
"Oh come on, you mean you didn't come to tell us you wanted to join our wonderful club??" He squeaked in a babyish voice.   
  
"Not really, I wasn't looking for you, I was getting away."  
  
"Awwwwe."  
  
"Well, thanks for your effort, but I gotta go." I announced  
  
"Oh really?? Where are you......."  
  
That was when my split second kick knocked the jerk's legs out from under him. Before I was able to be pulled to the ground with him, I twisted around once, the strength of his grip decreasing as his wrist twisted and made a loud craking noise, and diverolled to the edge of the building, free from his grip and his group for a few seconds. Bracing myself for the jump I lokd to see how far it would be. Two stories down and ten feet across. Ouch. I gulped before tensing up and kneeling down, then springin up and diving towards the building. My aim was perfect, and as I reached my hands out, I landed on them, bending at the elbows a little so all of my weight wouldn't crack my wrist, and thenfront flipping off of them and standing.  
  
I glanced up nervously, using one of the special features of my old Robin like eyepiece, zoom vision, to watch the jokers pile two people each on five hover cycles. _Oh boy, I thought. They never give up._  
  
With no way to outrun them unless I try, thats exactly what I wanted to do. Try. With gaining speed as I ran, I jumped up to the next building and climbed up, seeing as the building was taller than the one I was currently on. I did this repeatedly, somtimes having to climb, and other times having to drop down pretty far. Although it was hard for their hover cycles to do, the Jokerz managed to stay hot on my tail.   
  
Little did I know, that as I was fleeing from the mess I had gotten into, Terry McGinnis, a.k.a. Batman, was watching from above. He didn't spot me, but he did spot the brightly colored suits of the Jokerz, which he ended up chasing off.   
  
He heard them say something about "We'll get her later" and thats when he started looking for that "her". Too bad for me.  
  
The problem was, I had done nothing wrong. Still thinking I had to escape, I looked back and for once didn't see the bright colors in hot pursuit. I decided to wait a minute and catch my breath. I didn't mind running from them. In fact, sometimes it was almost fun. I still tried to make sure they never caught me. After a few moments, I stood tall, readied myself for yet another building, crouched, leaped, and... to my suprise, ended up dangling over the edge. A tightening grip was around the cloth of the shoulder of my shirt. Luckilly, the cloth was very durable and wouldn't rip, although it did stretch quites a bit. I looked at the hand, which was in a deep black glove. Slowly, my eyes followed the arm up to the elbow, where two spikes were, and then continuing on up to the shoulder and then to the head. The two tall pointy ears gave it away instantly. Either that, or the bright red bat across the chest. I didn't feel like debating over the two choices.  
  
I squirmed a bit, still ready to latch onto the building if need be possible. The grip tightened, snd I began not liking being held, dangling helplessly over an edge where the ground was a good forty or so stories down. And especially not by Batman, when I was at his every whim for he could drop me at any given moment.  
  
"Give it up. You won't break loose and I'm not letting go."   
  
Obeying, I stopped, and was lifted up with suprising strength to the roof of the building again.Batman grabbed may arm and then twisted me so he had both hands behind my back. It was then when he brought out a pair of black handcuffs and connected them with my wrists.  
  
"Ok, now, what did you do to anger the Jokerz so that they would chase you?" he questioned, forcing my head up to look at his. I adjusted the zoom vision of my mask to look at him.  
  
"I did nothing to hurt them or anyone in their group." I said truthfully.  
  
"Then why were they after you?"  
  
"I simply refused to tell them somevery valuable information."  
  
All while the conversation was going on, I had pulled a tiny round blade from my pocket and began cutting through the cuffs. While he pondered over what I said, and then began to ask another question, I had broken free and was darting to the edge of the building. I waited for him to look in my direction, and when I did, I saluted him, and stepped backwards, off the side of the building. There was a clang from a batarang, and then it fell over the edge. One of my hands darted out as I extended claws from the gloves of the fingers on the other. Using the clawed hand I latched onto the building and put the batarang into a holster on my ankle. Then I extened claws from that hand and climbed down the building as fast as possible. Mr. Bat would be diving down after me any second, for I think after my third run-in with him, he wouldn't be too fond of me.   
  
I reached the street, dropping down the last six feet, and what do you know? There where the Jokerz, who were on me and pinning me in an instant. Right as I began to growl, "dont you ever give up?" I recieved a blow to the head. My vision began darkening and blurring, and I only remained consious long enough to see Batman dive down and kick one of them before completely blacking out.  
  
Batman had seen what had happened, and all the while I was out, he chased the Jokerz away, and then grabbed me and once again flew to the top of the building where he waited for me to wake. After about a half an hour, he began to grow impatient, and I was awakened with ammonia smelling salts.  
  
When I jerked up, he was instantly on my, pinning me down. The wind was forced from my lungs in a small "oof", and he eased up a bit, allowing me to breathe.  
  
"Now, lets do it my way, or you could face the consequences." He taunted, with a half smirk.  
  
"What are they? I might like a to face one." I remarked after gaining my breath. And I meant it.  
  
"Never mind those. Don't you ever take a night off and stay home? This is three nights in a row now."  
  
"I would if I had one."  
  
"No home.. hmm. What's your name?"  
  
"Andie."  
  
"First and last, please."  
  
"It's be easier if you asked something I actually knew."  
  
"Okay, fine then." He rolled his eyes, or at least what looked like rolling eyes from the mask. "Where are your parents?"  
  
"Dead."  
  
"Both?"  
  
"Nope, all three." when he glared at me, I continued. "Der. You said parents. Not parent."  
  
He growled a little but continued, "No grandparents, aunts or uncles?"  
  
"Never had any aunts or uncles but definately no G-parents."  
  
"Oh," he said understanding, "I'm sorry."  
  
"Is okay."  
  
"You're going to need a place to stay, and I might have one for you, if you hold on one second."  
  
I don't know why, but I decided to hold on. Plus, I didn't see a way out without hurting myself.  
  
He came back close to ten minutes later, and signaled his batmobile to come, where he put me in a seat in the back.  
  
"So how come you have the mask?"  
  
"Mask?" I had forgetten about wearing it. "Oh! This mask! Well... I kinda need it, like you do."  
  
"Well, since you don't need that right now, would you mind taking it off?"  
  
Considering this for a moment, I murmured a weak "yes" and slowly unclipped the mask. My eyes instanly adjusted to the red and black lighted inside of the batmobile and I purposely let some hair fall in my face to still mask my identity if he didn't know it already.  
  
"I know how you feel without the mask." he tried sympathizing.  
  
"Yeah, I bet you do. You probably have to take that one of sometime to breathe."  
  
From out of no where there was another voice that spoke loud and clear. "Everything is ready. Do you have your passenger?"  
  
"Yes I do and I'm coming on in." said Batman.  
  
"Where are we going?" I said.  
  
We were whizzing through the woods, and then a cave opened. I guessed it was the "batcave".  
  
Within the next ten minutes we were landed, and I reached one unsteady arm on the frame of the hatch, and one on the seat, and pushed up. I had reattached my mask, unaware of what I would be looking at.  
  
But instead, infront of me was a huge room with a figure sitting in front of a giant computer. The person was hidden in the shadows, but I could see grey hair and guessed they were probably the old Batman. I must have appeared appalled by the sights in front of me, because batman then remarked rather rudely, "Are you okay?"  
  
With a nod I finished climbing out the vehicle. I looked around. Everything that the person who was Batman would need was here. _Well, duh_! I thought.  
  
"She says her name is Andie." said Batman, who reached to take off his mask, but then seemed to have second thoughts.   
  
"I said that was my name and that is exactly what it is." I told him, with my best matter-of-fact voice.  
  
"What is your last name?" The voice from the person in the chair was definately male, and it was some-what familiar, but I couldn't figure out from where.  
  
"I either don't have one or I just never knew it."  
  
"Hang on one second."  
  
They started typing on the computer, most likely looking me up. I noticed that he was, but he was spelling it A-N-D-Y, insead of A-N-D-I-E. I wasn't suprized when he looked confused when I wasn't in the computer. Then I looked over at Batman. He wasn't either.  
  
He strode over the the computer and typed it in the right way. Then I was quickly found out. And, like I had said, there was no last name. It said two details about me. One was that I was eighteen, and the other being I was already a college graduate and had been for over a year. Technological human reinforcement without full machinery taking over was what I had majored in. In other words, I was studying on how to make what someone else had already made. A batsuit for the common good person to be used in regular police training.   
  
Batman had goneoff somewhere, most likely to dress out, so he didn't see what it said. The old guy turned and looked at me with suspicion. If it weren't for the shadows coverng his face, I probably could have figured out who it was.  
  
"Were you ever a Joker?" he asked.  
  
I shook my head.  
  
"Where did you find her, McGinnis?" The old guy questioned someone, turning to a dressed out Batman.  
  
McGinnis..... that sounded all too familiar. Who was he? What was his first name?  
  
"Terry." I whispered, saying the name. Or at least thats what I thought it was.  
  
"What?" Batman said, looking at me.  
  
"What?" I said forcefully, not understanding.  
  
"You said my name. How did you know it?" Terry questioned, gazing in wonder and disapointment that I knew his name. I swear, if looks could kill I would have been dead right then and there.  
  
"Well, lets just say from McGinnis, I remember you are the one who never gets your homework in on time in any of your classes." I told him.  
  
"But I don't have anyone named Andie in my classes." He said.  
  
"Thats is because I don't go by Andie in school. I go by-"  
  
"Take your mask off. You don't need it in here." the old guy snapped. I was stunned because he had put on the effect of being silent but I managed to make a wise-crack.  
  
"No, thats not the name. I'm sorry, nice guess though..." I said, then smiled my sweet, innocent smile. Lets just say I found out where Terry got his "if looks could kill" gaze.  
  
"Why do I have to?" I growled.  
  
"It isn't nessecary to veil who you are in here. And, what is a college graduate doing in high school?"  
  
I sighed and rolled my eyes and for the second time in one night, I reached up and unclipped my mask. I looked with anger at Terry while replying to the question. "Can't I try and make friends without looking like a drop-out?"  
  
"Now that I see the face, I think I might know a name," Terry broke out, studying me.  
  
"Try me." I growled, crossing my arms over my chest and looking him square in the eye, which wasn't hard, seeing as I was close to his height.  
  
"Does it start with a, um, let me guess, 'E'?" Terry smirked.  
  
"Wipe that look of your face before I decide to." I told him. Even though that only caused his look to get worse.  
  
"So sassy, Miss Erica." He taunted.  
  
"Good, you remember your classmates better than your homework assignments." I complimented him, although it was in a very rude manner of complimenting. He glared at me, and I dropped down to a crouching position on the floor and swiped my leg out to knock his fett from underneath him, all within about three seconds. The move was successful. I stood, and dusted myself off, exaggerating my movements slightly. I glanced down at him. He was confused, but the look was off his face.  
  
"What was that for?" He growed, angry with me.  
  
"I told you to wipe the look off, well I decided to for you." I told him, now me with the smirk.  
  
"Yeah so."  
  
"Yeah, so, it worked. Oh yeah," I checked my watch, "You have about ten hours before the five page report on the anatomy of plant life."  
  
"I'll deal with that later." he growled. He left me alone with and old man as he went back into some other part of the cave. Which was what I needed. Perfect.  
  
"Nice cave. I like your decorating plan. You must tell me who helped you pick out such lovely wallpaper." I criticised, motioning to the stone walls, yet admiring the technology.  
  
"Your worse than McGinnis." I decided to take that as a compliment.  
  
"One question," the guy continued, looking me in the eye for what seemed like the first time that night, "How do I know I can trust you, and that you aren't with the Jokerz?"  
  
"I have never wanted to be with them, but I don't know how you'll trust me, unless you locked me someplace until you found out." I told him, once again looking around, this time for the door.  
  
"I guess thats what I'll have to do." I felt the tip of a tranquilizer go against my arm, and then the sound of the trigger. I had been too busy to watch him. My body slumped and I looked at him with hatred before finally blacking out.  
  
  
  
Someone was blowing in my ear, purposely making me wake. I looked up at Terry, in the Batsuit, then set my head back down to sleep again, grunting painfully before doing so. My head hurt, and so did my shoulder where the tranquilizer had been.  
  
This time, grabbing the cloth of my shirt again, Terry sat me upright. I couldn't get the best scowl I've ever done on my face out, but hey, I managed. I know I probably sound kinda in a bad mood, but you would be too, being chased by the Jokerz, being led into the Batcave, and then being knocked out all within a few hours.  
  
"Boss-man wanted me to ask you if you felt like going to school, and keeping your mouth shut, or being kept in here." He told me.  
  
"This is a nice room, I think I'll stay," I said, laying back down. There was no use in that, because I was pulled right back up.  
  
"I am going out on my shift. I assume you will go back to sleep, but if you don't, there is an intercom in here so you can tell him when you're ready to go down." he looked at me, and I didn't respond.  
  
Before leaving, he told me he was going to the batcave first. I just layed down and pretended to sleep. He opened the door, walked out and shut it. One problem. I didn't hear it click twice. Goody for me, he forgot to lock it.   
  
Slowly I slipped towards the door, and twisted the handle. When it wouldn't budge, I backed up a bit and ran at the door, using the opposite shoulder that the tranquilizer had been put in, and tried to knock the door down. I heard it splinter a bit, and then backed up to try again.   
  
The door swung open and I ran right into Terry, knocking both of us down. He shouted in suprize, in unison with my shout of consfusion. After tumbling a bit he ended up on top of me, and groaned. "What are you doing?!"  
  
"Hey! I wanna be here about as much as you want to do schoolwork! Which is not at all!" I shouted. "I don't need your help with anything! I was better off when you didn't plan on taking me to some house!"  
  
Terry growled again. "You can't be trusted yet so we have to keep you here."  
  
"I can sue!" I screamed, angry.  
  
"Actually, we have a warrant to hold you from the Commissioner, so, no, you can't."  
  
"Screw you! Why can't I just be let go?! I have a life, unlike you!"  
  
"Hey! Calm down! If you cooperate you'll be let go most likely tomorrow morning!"  
  
"I don't want to wait that long. I want to be back at my apartment!"  
  
The eyes of the mask on the batsuit widened as Terry accused me of lieing. "You have a home! I am stuck babysitting someone because of a _lie_?!"  
  
"It's not what I would call home. The Jokerz know about it. They've attacked me there before." I shoved Terry a bit. "Get off me now, please."  
  
He stood, but grabbed my arms again and threw me in the room. I tripped while stumbling to gain balance, and ended up hitting my head on the metal footboard of the bed. Just my luck, it was the corner I hit. I shouted in pain as I then hit the floor, and reached up to gingerly touch my forehead. "You ass! You could at least be a little nicer!" I looked at my hand, its fingertips wet and red with blood. I could feel a big drop of blood run down the left side of my face. I turned my head to glare at him, but he just closed the door.  
  
I heard him say through the door, "Don't try to get out again." I heard a sliding sound, and looked up towards the top of the door, where a new, metal door was sliding in place.  
  
"Damn you!" I screamed, putting my hand to my forehead again, and placing pressure on the gash from the bed post. I stood up and held the bottom of my shirt before pulling nother round blade out of my pocket and cutting of a strip of cloth all the way around about an inch and a half thick. I now owned a belly shirt, and an attempt of a black headband. I wrpped it around my forehead tightly, hoping that would help. Two more drops of blood had slid down my face, and I wiped them off with the back of my still gloved hand.  
  
Growling I took the gloves off. I was feeling groggy, and it would probably get worse if I lost enough blood from the gash, which I doubted would happen. I noticed then that my mask and watch was gone, but nothing from my pockets. I grunted angrilly and sat down on the bed. My head hurt worse than before and was throbbing. It seemed that with every beat of my heart, the pain in my head grew worse. Not only that, I could still feel the pain in my shoulder from the tranquilizer. I laid back a bit, trying to ease the pain, but instead, I accidentally fell asleep.  
  
  
  
I woke up and muttered something really bad about myself, which I never intended to take back, either. I never accidently fall asleep. It just wasn't me! The light from the window hurt my eyes, and I could tell from the position of the sun that it was probably around nine or ten in the morning. My first thought was that I forgot to go to school. But then my brain clicked... It was Saturday.  
  
"Ugh," I moaned and fell face down into the pillow, feeling groggy, which was odd, because I've never been sick a day of my life. Then again, last night was the first time I ever had a tranquilizer shot at me. I wondered if it was a side effect.  
  
Becoming bored (which is not hard for me to do), I checked the handle to the metal door, but it was still bolted shut. Growing impatient and wanting to get out, a yanked it harder, making the lock squeak. I reached in my back pocket for another circular blade, and found one of my last two. Slowly, I ran it along the handle until it had cut that part away from the rest of the door. All I did was push on the door, and it glided open. I smiled to myself at my progress.  
  
I began searching for my mask and watch, but then I remembered last night I had done the same, and the result was negative.  
  
"Duh!" I said outloud, slapping my forehead as if trying to knock in some sense. What was wrong with me? First off, I never sleep this much, and second off, I'm never this slow at thinking. My thoughts were coming out slurred, as If my brain was drunk.  
  
I quickly made up my mind and walked out the door. I decided to go left, since right was usually the bad turn. My footsteps echoed in the hall, and soon I came to a big room at the end of the hallway. _Okay,_ I thought. _So maybe left was the bad turn this time._  
  
I turned, slowly mozying along back to the room. I wondered if this is what it felt like to be sick. My forehead hurt along with my shoulder and my whole head entirely. I made my way back into the room and sat down on the bed. Slowly, I untied the bacl strip of cloth I had used as my bandage. It was stuck to my forehead with dry blood, but I peeled it away, seeing that I definately would not want to have anything to do with it once was in my hands. I set it on a nightstand and left it there. Gingerly, I touched my forehead, feeling the sting return as soon as my finger reached the wound.  
  
I examined the room for something of use, and to my amazement found a washrag and a small bowl of water with a mirror on a shelf. I rolled my eyes. This place was like a medieval prison that had just met technology. I looked at my pitiful reflection in the mirror, and immediately flipped it down on the shelf. I dipped my hands in the water andcarefully washed the cut, not minding the sting. I flipped up the mirror amazed to find no more blood, but disappointed when I saw the gash. It wasn't too big, but it was definately noticable.  
  
Not wanting anything more to do with the room, I walked out, and finally turned right. It led to a stairway that was in an open hall. I could see the front door to wherever I was down below, about two flights of stairs down. I began jogging down the stairs, not caring that they had my mask, just wanting to get the hell outta there.  
  
I reached to front door to find them bolted shut. I growled and kicked at it, but I think that I hurt my foot more than the door. "What is this place?! HELL?!" I shouted. I leaned against the door and slid to a sitting position. I wanted out, and I wanted out bad.  
  
I don't know how long I sat there, knees aainst my chest with my arms wrapped around them, clinking the remnents of handcuffs together and watching the floor, but it was long enough for me, and just as I was about to get ready to find another way out, Terry walked up to me, out of costume. I looked up at him, and back down at the floor.  
  
"You can't stay put, can you?" he remarked.  
  
"Nope." I said simply, blinking slowly, and watching the patch of sunlight on the floor.  
  
"You do know you are only making my job harder." I guessed Terry was trying to get me to coorperate, but it wasn't working, so I just clinked the handcuffs together repeatedly.   
  
"I'm glad to know that." I clinked the handcuffs again, louder this time.  
  
"Will you please stop that?" Terry growled, obviously agitated with me.  
  
I sighed and rolled my eyes before pulling out my last circular blade and cutting off the handcuffs. The fell to the floor, making an even louder and more annoying sound than I had been doing. I thought about picking them up and playing with them again to annoy Terry, but just left them there.  
  
"Thank you."   
  
I didn't reply, however, I did look up at him, resting my head on the door and blinking long and slow. I was groggy, tired, and still slightly pissed. Then I felt a new sensation to add to the list. A tinge fo hunger. I groaned and rubbed my forehead, trying my best not to re-injure myself.  
  
"Wait, stop for a second." Terry said, looking at me in what I thought was a weird way. I stopped rubbing my forehead, and he crouched down by me and pushed my hair away from the gash. "Who did this to you?" For a moment I thought I heard him sound concerned. I blinked, confused, and then realized he was.   
  
"You." I replied simply, pushing his hand away from my face.  
  
"When?" he demanded.  
  
"Last night when I hit the foot board... der." I growled at him.  
  
"Oh." he blinked, and looked down. "Sorry, I didn't know you got hurt."  
  
"Yeah, well, you should learn to be more careful with your prisoners." I stood up quickly, and because of the dizziness and grogginess and standing up to fast, I fell forward, dazed for a moment. Terry reached out and held me up, confused with what was going on.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked, an eyebrow raised. AAfter gaining my balance I nodded weakly.  
  
"Yeah, just a little dizzy from standing to fast." I lied. Well, it wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth. I shook my head once and blinked, getting rid of the dizzy and tired feeling momentarily.  
  
"You don't look like your feeling well." Terry said, and I slowly sat back down and hugged my knees, head down eyes closed.  
  
"I'm fine." I tried reassuring, but I don't think he believed me because my voice faultered.  
  
I could feel his eyes on me, and then, everything was darker than normal, and I slid into the abyss of sleep.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Okay! Here's what NOT to tell me! "You rushed into her staying at Wayne Mannor too soon!" I KNOW THAT! ::growls:: Get over it! And if you liked it, then review it! And, if you haven't already, check out my other BB fic!! And my DBZ one! Because, hey! Fics kick butt, right?! Well, now is the time where you click the pretty review button for me!!! YAY! Till I edit the rest, enjoy.  
  
.~*~.  
Andie  
.~*~. 


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